Cooling tower



Aug. 4, 1964 J, T, KEEFE 3,143,397

COOLING TOWER Filed Nov. 17, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 H/S ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 4, 1964 J, T, KEEFE 3,143,397

COLING TOWER Filed NOV. 17, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES 7: KEEFE E25. 2. BY

@ma 4Z/01% HIS ATTORNEYS.

J. T. KEEFE COOLING TOWER Aug. 4, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 17, 1959 United States Patent O 3,143,397 COOLING TOWER James T. Keefe, San Carlos, Calif., assignor to California Press Manufacturing Company, a corporation of California Filed Nov. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 853,486 9 Claims. (Cl. 34-174) My invention relates to the cooling of material such as freshly prepared pellets, and more particularly to a cooling tower for such purpose.

It is common practice in the prior art to employ cooling towers for reducing the temperature of freshly prepared material in pellet form. Such pellets are caused to lill the tower and flow slowly from the upper or receiving end to the lower or discharge end, while exposed to a cross ilow of air through opposing walls of the tower which support the column of such material.

So long as the tower is full of the material, no particular problem of cooling is involved. However, during the period of filling such tower at the start of a run, and subsequently emptying the same at the termination of a run, a problem is involved for during such filling and emptying periods, the tower is only partially filled and under these conditions, the cross flow of air will tend to take the path of least resistance, which is crosswise of that portion of the tower not occupied by any of the material or in other words that portion above the level of material in the tower. As a result, such material as is present in the tower receives little benefit from such air flow and will be discharged from the tower inadequately cooled.

Attempts have been made to solve this problem by automatically blocking air flow crosswise of the tower at points above the prevailing level of material in the tower, as by gates in the intake wall which are opened automatically as the weight of material builds up against them, but to effectively function, the upper end of the tower must be closed or sealed against the free intake of air, for if air were permitted to enter through the upper end of the tower, it would defeat the very purpose of such air ow control transversely of the tower as was described above.

Among the objects of the present invention are:

(1) To provide a novel and improved cooling tower for pellets and the like;

(2) To provide a novel and improved cooling tower in which air ow transversely through the tower is fully effective during iilling and emptying of such tower, and without the necessity of blocking or sealing the upper intake end of the tower against inflow of air;

(3) To provide a novel and improved automatic louvre wall assembly for cooling towers or the like;

(4) To provide a novel and improved louvre wall assembly for use in a cooling tower or the like, which Vlouvre wall assembly is atmospherically balanced and thus free of any atmospheric pressure opposing its operation.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a tower embodying the present invention, with a portion thereof broken away to expose features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view in elevation of the tower of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is view in section taken in the plane 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view of control vanes appearing in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings for details of my invention in its preferred form, the same discloses a tower for the treatment of material such as pellets or the like and comprising base section 3 having end walls 5, 7, adjoining side walls 9, 11, and a discharge opening 13 at the bottom thereof.

Rising upwardly from the base end walls, are spaced end walls 15, 17 joined by spaced outside louvre walls, 19, 21 having air intake openings 23 distributed thereover, determined preferably by a plurality of xed paralleled transverse louvre vanes 25.

Within the tower between the outside louvre walls, 19, 21 are a pair of spaced louvre wall assemblies 27, 29 extending between the end walls 15, 17 and defining between them, an air withdrawal chamber 31 within said tower and creating with respect to the outside louvre Walls 19, 21 a pair of columns 33, 35 in the tower for flow of material to be treated.

Supported at the upper ends of the tower walls 15, 17, 19, 21 is a crown 37 involving corresponding end walls 39, 41, and joining walls 43, 45; and spanning the upper ends of the inside louvre wall assemblies is a peaked baiile 49 which extends from one end wall 39 of the crown to the opposite end wall 41 and serves to close off the air withdrawal chamber from above and at the same time forms with the crown walls 43, 45 a hopper for each of the columns.

Within the base section of the tower, below each column therein, I provide means for discharging material from the column through the discharge opening 13 at the bottom of the base section, and controlling the rate of such discharge. Such means include a stepped incline 55 leading from the lower edge of the associated end wall to the discharge opening at the bottom of the base section, said stepped incline including substantially parallel spaced inclined sections 57, 59 having an exposed passageway 61 therebetween.

Associated with the stepped incline, is a dispensing wheel 63 preferably of the paddle wheel type, such dispensing wheel being rotatably mounted between the base end walls 5, 7 and intersecting the lower section 59 of the incline 55 whereby upon rotation of the dispensing wheel in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings, such wheel may take up measured amounts of the material falling through the column and discharge the same through the discharge opening.

To assure eiicient functioning of the dispensing wheel, an adjustable gate 67 is pivotally mounted between the base end walls 5, 7 adjacent the lower end of the proximate inside louvre wall assembly and extends down to substantially the periphery of the dispensing wheel.

The dispensing wheels are driven from a motor 69 and associated reduction gear assembly 71 through a conventional type chain drive 73.

The motor may be electrically controlled from a location adjacent the top of the tower, to function in accordance with ilow of material to the tower. Such control may involve a pivotally mounted gate 79 partially spanning one of the hoppers and normally counterbalanced by a weight 31 to a position determining minimum operation of the motor. In response to increase in ow of material into a column, the resulting downward movement of the gate will increase and cause a corresponding lifting of the weight, which, when coupled by a wire 87 for example, to a motor speed control associated with a motor, will cause the motor to function accordingly in driving the dispensing wheels. The specific nature of such control is not a part of the present invention and therefore has not been discussed or described in any detail, since any type of known control may be employed.

Each of the inside louvre wall assemblies 27 includes a plurality of angularly disposed louvre strips 101 extending between the tower end walls 15, 17 and defining louvre passages 103. Each of the louvre strips includes a leading edge 105 and a lagging edge 107.

g Each passage 103 defined by such louvre strips is adapted to be closed by a gate vane 109, which is pivotally mounted adjacent the leading edge S of a louvre strip` and adapted to span the adjacent passage .103 be tween said leading edge and Vthe lagging edge 167 of the proximate'louvre, either by abutting the lagging edge or abutting a strip 111 of sealing material such as rubber or the like applied to each louvre strip 191 along the lagging edge thereof.

` Associated with each gate vane 109 is a lever vane 115 rigidly connected to its associated gate vane along the pivoted edge thereof and braced by a gusset plate 117 between the levervane and the associated gatevane. Pressure applied to the lever vane will accordingly cause the gate vane to swing open from its closing or standing position. With a gate in its closing position, air iiow through thepassage spanned thereby is blocked. With the gate vane in open position, Yair iiow is permitted. To forestall the lever vane` from interfering with Vsuch ow, the lever vane is constructed to permit air flow therethrough or thereby. In its preferred form, this is realized by providing-each lever vane with a vplurality of perforations 119. Upon development of a sub-atmospheric pressure in the withdrawal chamber 31, a flow of airV transverse through each column will be created, with the air entering through each of the outside louvre walls 19 and emerging Vthrough those passages 103 in which the associate gate vanesmay-be in open position. Itwill'be appreciated in this connection, that the gatervanes will be successively opened as the level of material in a column risesV and the `weight of such material builds up against the lever vanes causing them to rotate and open the associated gate.

By the simple expedient of placing these material actuated gate vanes in the air discharge wall of a column, the problem ,of maintaining a sealed entrance to each column has been entirely avoided, for all air drawn into the tower must pass through material in either one or the other of the columns. The material cannot be bypassed as when the gates or equivalent are located in the outside walls of the columns.

' Tofacilitate the ease with which the gate vanes may be controlled by the material in a column, there are certain factors which have to be contended with and neutralized. One of these is the relative weight of the individual lever vane and associated gate vane controlled thereby. The lever vane is apt to be of substantially greater area and consequently greater weight than the gate vane, and such excess weight would be in the direction of opening the gate vane to which the lever vane is integrally connected.

Another factor to be considered from the viewpoint of realizing increased eiciency, is the unbalanced pressures normally prevailing to either side of each gate vane in its closed position. On the side facing interiorly of a column, atmospheric pressure prevails, while on the side facing interiorly of the withdrawal chamber, the pressure is subatmospheric. The prevailing differential pressure therefore, is in the direction of opening the gate vane entirely independently of the presence or absence of material in the column. This diierential pressure as well as the excess weight of the lever vane, both act in the same direction, namely in the direction of opening the gate vane.

Toward neutralizing both these factors with the ultimate purpose in mind of making the opening and closing of a gate vane responsive solely to the pressure and weight of material against the lever vane, I provide a balancing vane 127 of an area comparable to thatof the gate vane 109 and secure the same along one edge to the pivot edge of the gate vane and at an angle to the gate vane on the withdrawal chamber side thereof.

This balancing vane forms an inwardly swingable closure for an air pressure balancing chamber 131 made up of avlouvre ,strip101 and an arcuate wall 133 extending between the tower end walls 15, 17 and affixed along one edge to the associated louvre strip, the center of curvature of the arcuate wall coinciding withrthe pivot axis of the air pressure balancing vane, while the radius of curvature corresponds exactly to the width of such vane.

VAn exposed seal strip 137 along the free edge of each arcuate wall 133 lis adapted to be abutted by the proxiv mate air pressure balancing vane 127 when the associated gate vane is in its spanning position. Air pressure within the chamber is maintained at atmospheric pressure by providing inroneror both end walls, an opening 139 to the atmosphere. Y

The air balance vane provides a suitable mounting platform for a counterweight 141 of a value to balance out or neutralize the excess weight of the lever vane 11S. Any suitablemeans may be provided for withdrawal of air from the air withdrawal chamber, such means being normally installed outside of the tower and connected against the gate vanes will .be eliminated.

It will be apparent fronrthe foregoing that the operation of the gate vanes will be responsive solely to the building up of pressure against the lever vane as the level of material builds up in the respective columns during lling thereof, Vwhile the closing of such gate vanes will be responsive to the lowering of the level of such material in the columns during emptying at the termination of a run. Such functioning of the gate vanes, it will be noted, is entirely independent of the conditions existing at the upper end of a tower, that is whether the upper ends of the columns are sealed or open. Also of importance inthe operation of the cooling tower, Ais the stepped incline below each column, for such incline permits of intake of air through the proximate wall 9 or 11, which may be perforated in part or provided with a screened section for the purpose. Such air will bedrawn in through the bottom of a column when any of the gate vanes bordering such column are open. Thus the material in the bottom of the column continue to be cooled until picked up by a dispensing wheel and discharged.

While I have disclosed my ivention in its preferred form, the same is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles involved, and ,I accordingly do not desire to be limited in my protection to the specific details illustrated and described except as may be necessitated by the appended claims. Y

I claim:

l. A tower for the treatment of material such as pellets orkthe like. comprising a base section having a discharge opening therefrom; spaced end walls rising from said base section and joined by spaced outside walls having air intake openings distributedthereover; a pair of insideV spaced louvre wall assemblies extending between said end walls and defining between them, an air withdrawal chamber within said tower, each louvre wall assembly being normally closed but adapted to progressively open from the bottom up, as material piles up 'against`said louvre wall assembly; and means spanning the upper ends of said spaced louvre wall assemblies to closesaid air Vwithdrawal chamber at its upper end and create a pair of columns in said tower for flow of material to be treated. A

2. Atowerfor the treatment of material such as pellets or the like comprising a base section having a discharge opening therefrom; spaced end walls rising from said base section and joined by spaced outside louvre walls having air intake openings distributed thereover; a pair of inside spaced louvre wall assemblies extending between said end walls and defining between them, an air withdrawal chamber within said tower, each louvre wall assembly being normaly closed but adapted to progressively open from the bottom up, as material piles up against said louvre wall assembly; means spanning the upper ends of said spaced louvre wall assemblies to close said air `withdrawal chamber at its upper end and create a pair of columns in said tower for iiow of material to be treated; and means for withdrawing from the bottom of each of said columns, material liowing therethrough, said means including a stepped incline leading from the lower edge of the associated end wall to the discharge opening at the bottom of said base section, said stepped incline including substantially parallel spaced incline sections having an exposed passageway therebetween.

3. A tower for the treatment of material such as pellets or the like comprising a base section having a discharge opening therefrom; spaced end walls rising from said base section and joined by spaced outside walls having air intake openings distributed thereover; a pair of inside spaced louvre wall assemblies extending between said end walls and defining between them, an air withdrawal chamber within said tower, means spanning the upper ends of said spaced louvre wall assemblies to close said air withdrawal chamber at its upper end and create a pair of columns in said tower for flow of material to be treated; and each of said inside louvre wall assemblies including a plurality of louvre strips extending between said tower end walls and deiining louvre passages through said louvre wall assembly, and means for closing the individual passages formed by said louvre strips, said means including a plurality of gate vanes, each pivotally mounted adjacent an edge of a louvre strip and adapted to span the passage between said edge and an edge of the proximate louvre strip, and a plurality of lever vanes, each connected to a gate vane and extending therefrom at an angle into the associated column.

4. A tower for the treatment of material such as pellets or the like comprising a base section having a discharge opening thereom; spaced end walls rising from said base section and joined by spaced outside walls having air intake openings distributed thereover; a pair of inside spaced louvre wall assemblies extending between said end walls and defining them, an air withdrawal chamber within said tower; means spanning the upper ends of said spaced louvre wall assemblies to close said air withdrawal chamber at its upper end and create a pair of columns in said tower for iiow of material to be treated; and each of said inside louvre wall assemblies including a plurality of louvre strips extending between said tower end walls and deiining louvre passages through said louvre wall assembly, means for closing the individual passages formed by said louvre strips, said means including a plurality of gate vanes, each pivotally mounted adjacent an edge of a louvre strip and adapted to span the passage between said edge and an edge of the proximate louvre strip, a plurality of lever vanes, each connected to a gate vane and extending therefrom at an angle into the associated column, and means for urging each of said gate vanes individually toward its closing position.

5. A tower for the treatment of material such as pellets or the like comprising a base section having a discharge opening therefrom; spaced end walls rising from said base section and joined by spaced outside walls having air intake openings distributed thereover; a pair of inside spaced louvre wall assemblies extending between said end walls and defining between them, an air withdrawal charnber within said tower; means spanning the upper ends of said spaced louvre wall assemblies to close said air withdrawal chamber at its upper end and create a pair of columns in said tower for ow of material to be treated; means for withdrawing from the bottom of each of said columns, material flowing therethrough, said means including a stepped incline leading from the lower edge of the associated end wall to the discharge opening at the bottom of said base section, said stepped incline including substantially parallel spaced incline sections having an exposed passageway therebetween; a dispensing wheel rotatably mounted between said base end walls and intersecting the lower of said incline sections; an adjustable gate pivotally mounted between said base end walls adjacent the lower end of the proximate inside louvre wall assembly and extending to substantially the periphery of said dispensing wheel, each of said inside louvre wall assemblies including a plurality of louvre strips extending between said tower end walls and defining louvre passages through said louvre wall assembly, means for closing the individual passages formed by said louvre strips, said means including a plurality of gate vanes, each pivotally mounted adjacent an edge of a louvre strip and adapted to span the passage between said edge and an edge of the proximate louvre strip, a plurality of lever vanes, each connected to a gate vane and extending therefrom at an angle into the associated column, means for atmospherically balancing said gate vanes, and means for urging each of said gate vanes individually, toward its spanning position.

6. A louvre wall assembly comprising a pair of spaced end walls; a plurality of louvre strips extending between said end walls and defining louvre passages through said louvre wall, each of said louvre strips including a leading edge and a lagging edge; means for closing the individual passages formed by said louvre strips, said means including a plurality of gate vanes, each pivotally mounted adjacent an edge of a louvre strip and adapted to span the passage between said edge and an edge of the proximate louvre strip; a plurality of lever vanes, each rigidly connected to a gate vane at an angle thereto, to swing said gate vane from its spanning position across a passage to an open position in response to pressure applied to said lever vane; and means for atmospherically balancing each of said gate vanes, said means including an air pressure balancing vane of an area comparable to that of said gate vane and secured along one of its edges to the pivot edge of said gate vane at an angle to said gate vane, an arcuate wall extending between said end walls and aiiixed along one edge to one of said louvre strips with its radius of curvature corresponding substantially to the width of said air pressure balancing vane, and forming with said louvre and end walls, a chamber into which said air pressure balancing vane may swing, said end walls providing at least one vent opening into each of said air pressure balancing chambers.

7. A louvre wall assembly comprising a pair of spaced end walls; a plurality of angularly disposed louvre strips extending between said end walls and defining louvre passages through said louvre wall, each of said louvre strips including a leading edge and a lagging edge; means for closing the individual passages formed by said louvre strips, said means including a plurality of gate vanes, each pivotally mounted adjacent the leading edge of a louvre strip and adapted to span the passage between said leading edge and the lagging edge of the proximate louvre strip; a plurality of lever vanes, each connected to a gate vane at an angle thereto, to swing said gate vane from its spanning position across a passage to an open position in response to pressure applied to said lever vane; and means for atmospherically balancing said gate vanes, said means including a plurality of air pressure balancing vanes, each iixedly connected to a gate vane at an angle thereto, with said gate vane between said air pressure balancing vane and its associated lever vane, each said air pressure balancing vane having 'an area corresponding tothat of its associated gate vane, a plurality of arcuate chamber walls, each extending between said end walls and aixed along one edge to one of said louvre strips with its radius of curvature corresponding substantially to the width of said air balancing vane and with its center of curvature coinciding with the pivot axis associated with said louvre strip, said arcuate chamber wall terminating adjacent Vthe free' edge of said air pressure balancing vane and forming, with said louvre strip and end walls, a chamber into which said air pressure balancing/'vane can swing when its associated gate vane moves from spanning position to open position, said end walls having at least one vent opening into each of said chambers.

8. A louvre Wall assembly comprising a pair of spaced end walls;'a plurality or" angularly disposed louvre strips extending between said end walls and deiining louvre passages through said louvre wall, each` of said louvre strips including a leading edge and a lagging edge; means for closing the individual passages formed by said louvre strips, said means including a plurality of gate vanes, each pivotally mounted adjacent the leading edge of a louvre strip and adapted to span the passage between said leading edge and the lagging edge of the proximate louvre strip; a plurality of lever vanes, each rigidly connected to a gate vane at an angle thereto, to swing said gate vane from its spanning position across a passage to an open position in response to pressure applied to said lever vane; means for atmospherically balancing said gate vanes, said means including a plurality of air pressure balancing vanes, each xedly connected to a gate vane l at an angle thereto, with said gate vane between said air pressure balancing vane and its associated lever vane, each said air pressure balancing vane having an area corresponding to that of its associated gate vane; a plurality of arcuate chamber walls, each extending between said end walls and aixed along one edge to one of said louvre strips with its radius of curvature corresponding substantially to the width of said air balancing vane and with its center of curvature coinciding with the pivot axis associated with said louvre strip, said arcuate chamber wall terminating adjacent the free edge of said air pressure balancing vane and forming, with said louvre strip and end walls, a chamber into which said air pressure balancing vane can swing when its associated gate vane moves from spanning position to open'position, said end walls having at least one vent opening into each of said chambers; and means for urging each of said gate vanes individually, toward itsspanning position. 9. A louvre wall assembly comprising a pair of spaced end walls; a plurality of angularly disposed louvre strips extending between said end walls and defining louvre passages through said louvre wall, each of said louvre strips including a leading edge and a lagging edge; means for closing the individual'passages formed by said louvre strips, said means including a plurality of gate vanes, each pivotally mounted adjacent the leading edge of a louvre strip and adapted to span the passage between said leading edge and the lagging edge of the proximate louvre strip; a plurality of lever vanes, each rigidly connected to a gate vane along substantially the pivot axis thereof and at an angle to its associated gate vane to swing said gate vane from its spanning position across a passage to van open position in response to pressure applied to said lever vane; means for atmospherically balancing said gate vanes, said means including a plurality of air pressure balancing vanes, each xedly connected to a gate vane along the pivot axis thereof and at an angle thereto, with said gate vane between said air pressure balancing vane and its associated lever vane, each said air pressure balancing vane having an area corresponding to that of its associated gate vanes, a plurality of arcuate chamber walls, each extending between said end walls and aixed along one edge to one of said louvre strips with its radius of curvature corresponding substantially to the width of said air balancing vane and with its center of curvature coinciding with the pivot axis associated with said louvre strip, said arcuate chamber wall terminating adjacent the free edge of said air pressure balancing vane and forming, with said louvre strip and end walls, a chamber into which said air pressure balancing vane can swing when its associated gate vane moves from spanning position to open position, said end walls having at least one vent opening into each of lsaid chambers; and means for urging each of said gate vanes individually, toward its spanning position.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES'PATENTS 921,395 Hager May 11, 1909 1,522,480 Allen Ian. 13, 1925 2,799,097 Williams et al July 16, 1957 2,849,806 Y Grahek Sept. 2, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 665,032 Great Britain Ian. 16, 1952 

1. A TOWER FEOR THE TREATMENT OF MATERIAL SUCH AS PELLETS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A BASE SECTION HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING THERFROM; SPACED END WALLS RISING FROM SAID BASE SECTION AND JOINED BY SPACED OUTSIDE WALLS HAVING AIR INTAKE OPENINGS DISTRIBUTED THEREOVER; A PAIR OF INSIDE SPACED LOUVRE WALL ASSEMBLIES EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID END WALLS AND DEFINEING BETWEEN THEM, AN AIR WITHDRAWAL CHAMBER WITHIN SAID TOWER, EACH LOUVRE WALL ASSEMBLY BEING NORMALLY CLOSED BUTY ADAPTED TO PROGRESSIVELY OPEN FROM THE BOTTOM UP, AS MATERIAL PILES UP AGAINST SAID LOUVRE WALL ASSEMBLY; AND MEANS SPANNING THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID SPACED LOUVRE WALL ASSEMBLIES TO CLOSE SAID AIR WITHDRAWAL CHAMBER AT ITS UPPER END AND CREATE A PAIR OF COLUMNS IN SAID TOWER FOR FLOW OF MATERIAL TO BE TREATED. 